Behind the Lens

I have an exam tomorrow at 9 am and a major presentation at 7 pm. I am also suffering from what...

photographsbymiranda — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:26:11 -0400

I have an exam tomorrow at 9 am and a major presentation at 7 pm. I am also suffering from what feels like the onset of a migraine with pain in my eye. Do I try to sleep it off and just get up wicked early, or do I try and work at least another half hour? Fuck.

dailyoddcompliment: “Socially Awkward”

photographsbymiranda — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:31:33 -0400

dailyoddcompliment:

“Socially Awkward”

I hate getting dressed

photographsbymiranda — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:34:10 -0400

Not because I’m a nudist, I much prefer being clothed in public. But seriously, I have a real problem choosing clothes in the morning. I’d be totally okay with wearing business clothes or jeans and a tee all day, err day but neither of those is actually appropriate at this point in my life.

Can someone lend me their fashion sense? Please?

Photo

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:47:03 -0400

Photo

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:45:36 -0400

Today was a weird day in many ways. It included a sharp reminder to check my privilege....

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:28:06 -0400

Today was a weird day in many ways.

It included a sharp reminder to check my privilege.

Hopefully Friday will be more successful.

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:17:49 -0400

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via finedineonmyvegangenitalia)
This is beautiful in a way that I don’t need to describe because as you read it for yourself it will wreathe its way around your heart.

Photo

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:08:26 -0400

wordsnwolves: blackwork forest sleeves Drooling.

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:39:08 -0400

http://pinterest.com/pin/479703797779059959/

wordsnwolves:

blackwork forest sleeves

Drooling.

Apartment hunting just took a major turn from on-paper to IRL.

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:40:19 -0400

Apartment hunting just took a major turn from on-paper to IRL.

Cabin in Eskifjörður, Iceland. Submitted by Chris...

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:46:26 -0400

Cabin in Eskifjörður, Iceland.

Submitted by Chris Rhodes.

This is just lovely.

howtotalktogirlsatparties: Meet Malcolm Brickhouse and Jarad...

photographsbymiranda — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:16:29 -0400

howtotalktogirlsatparties:

Meet Malcolm Brickhouse and Jarad Dawkins aka Unlocking The Truth, sixth-grade metalheads from Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Well shit. These kids are way cooler than I’ll ever be.

Other bands I’m really digging thanks to this rather great playlist? Daughter Phoenix Note to...

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:14:21 -0400

Other bands I’m really digging thanks to this rather great playlist?

Daughter
Phoenix

Note to self: purchase and review on maplenotes.

ETA: also learned due to this playlist: Vampire Weekend has a song called Horchata. It is perfect and playful and makes me miss California SO much! The Mexican restaurants in Toronto don’t make Horchata :(

Edited again: looking through the horchata tag…. Rumchata? JFC I need to find this.

Crackdown on temporary foreign workers lets officials search without warrants

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:01:47 -0400

Crackdown on temporary foreign workers lets officials search without warrants:

fycanadianpolitics:

Federal officials will have the right to walk into Canadian workplaces without a warrant as part of a tightening of the controversial foreign temporary workers program.
Changes to immigration and refugee protection regulations, published just days ago, give Human Resources and Skills Development Canada officials or Citizenship and Immigration Canada officers the right to walk in on businesses as part of a random audit or because they suspect fraud […]

The Harper government has lowered the average wage allowed to be paid to temporary workers and increased the number of temporary workers allowed, while Canada continues to have slow growth and a high unemployment rate. When you look at this new law, it should be clear to anyone that the government doesn’t care about immigrants or foreign workers as people, but only as a means to push down wages, bust unions, and labour market flexibility to help corporations earn higher profits at the expense of workers.

Problematic as all get out.

Just saying, thanks to the current play list I’m listening to on 8 tracks, I’ve fallen...

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:58:32 -0400

Just saying, thanks to the current play list I’m listening to on 8 tracks, I’ve fallen in love with Coeur de Pirate and Arctic Monkeys all over again.

alisonannestitch: In honour of term paper season, I fixed up my...

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:38:08 -0400

alisonannestitch:

In honour of term paper season, I fixed up my pattern from last year with simpler stitches and brighter colours. Perfect for passive-aggressively stitching in the grad lounge.

Pattern and finished stitching both available in my new Etsy store.

Future Academy Award Winner Leonardo DiCaprio These all...

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:59:44 -0400

Future Academy Award Winner Leonardo DiCaprio

These all started at different times because I’m on the app on my phone. Quite amusing.

banksystreetart: Huge rat in New York I love this.

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:45:44 -0400

banksystreetart:

Huge rat in New York

I love this.

skandinaviskhet: “Last of the Viking Whalers” — a way of life...

photographsbymiranda — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:59:31 -0400

skandinaviskhet:

“Last of the Viking Whalers” — a way of life drawing to a close on the Lofoten Islands in Norway

from National Geographic - June 2013

vandaleesm: #sugarpup Los Angeles, 2013

photographsbymiranda — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:27:27 -0400

vandaleesm:

#sugarpup

Los Angeles, 2013